Saturday, February 1, 2014

Why a Selfie?

As many of you have already heard, today is #SelfieSaturday. I'm encouraging all of my friends online to share a photo of themselves today, whether it's an action shot from a racing event or a just-woke-up bedhead shot or anything in between.

But why? What's so important about posting a photo of yourself online?

I'll tell you why. Because posting a picture can be a very empowering thing to do. Many people that I know, especially those who are unhappy with their bodies, are in the habit of hiding from the camera. They see themselves as unattractive and think the whole world sees them the same way, and who wants a picture of that?

That's crazy talk, by the way. The people in your world already know exactly what you look like, and they don't expect you to become like a mega-photoshopped super model. They love the person you are, just way you are.

Posting a photo of yourself for others to see is a way to fight back against those damaging voices in your head. It's a way to say, "this is who I am and I am proud of myself." It's not about vanity or arrogance, it's about confidence.

I'm going to keep encouraging my friends to share photos of themselves, because I think you are all wonderful and deserve to have your happy, smiling faces out there for all the world to see.

And just to prove that I can talk the talk AND walk the walk, here's a selfie that I just took now. It's one shot, no retakes, and no editing.